University of Latvia Admission 2027: SAT, Fees and Steps

University of Latvia admission for Medicine in English is a selection based on your school marks, a SAT score and a short online interview, not a separate entrance exam in Riga. Indian applicants need a SAT score of at least 1200, strong biology and chemistry grades and proof of English, and they apply online through the university's portal with a 170 euro fee.

That's the short answer. The University of Latvia (LU) is a research university in Riga, and its Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences teaches a six year Medical Doctor programme in English in the Latvian capital, inside the EU. This guide walks an Indian student and their parents through every step, read off the university's own pages on 10 November 2026.

Key Takeaways

• The programme: Medicine in English at the University of Latvia runs 12 semesters (360 ECTS) and leads to a Medical Doctor's degree. The 2026/2027 intake had 35 fee-paying places.
• The selection: no written entrance exam. LU ranks your final grades (chemistry 40%, biology 40%, English 20%) and adds a 10 to 15 minute online interview for non-EU applicants.
• The SAT rule: students who finished school outside the EU, so every CBSE, ISC and state board student, need a SAT overall score of at least 1200.
• The window: the 2026/2027 round opened on 1 January 2026, the interview had to be done by 26 June 2026 and final results came in early July. The 2027 dates are not posted yet.
• The cost: a 170 euro application fee and a 500 euro refundable deposit. Tuition is listed at 11,850 euros for year one on the portal and 13,600 euros a year on the programme page, so confirm your intake's figure.

When does University of Latvia admission open for 2027?

University of Latvia admission for the 2027/2028 year hasn't been dated yet. The Medicine programme page still shows the last cycle: admissions opened on 1 January 2026, and the application portal says the 2026/27 period has ended, with studies that began on 31 August 2026.

If LU keeps the same rhythm, the next round would open around January 2027. Treat that as a planning guess, not a date. The fixed points from last year tell you more:

• Online interview by 26 June. Non-EU applicants had to complete it by 26 June 2026, so the portal asks you to apply well in advance.
• Feedback within 2 weeks. Complete applications get a reply within two weeks of applying.
• Final results in early July. LU says it can't give official results earlier, because each new application can change the competition.

So what does that mean for you this winter? Book your SAT now. A score takes time to arrive, and without it your University of Latvia application can't move.

Why choose the University of Latvia for medicine?

The University of Latvia offers a full six year medical degree in English inside the European Union, with small student groups and an unusually early start in hospitals. Its programme page describes the course as built on Scandinavian experience, with the student at the centre of teaching.

Here's what stands out for a family in India:

• Small groups. With 35 fee-paying places in the 2026/2027 intake, your year group is small and the faculty says training is personalised.
• Hospital practice from year three. LU says intensive practice begins in the third year and that its hospital time is longer than at other universities, with real work with patients rather than only watching.
• Research from year one. As a research university, LU lets students join scientific projects from their first year.
• More than medicine. Because LU is a full university, you can add electives in languages, psychology, economics or law, worth 12 ECTS of the programme.
• An EU degree. The programme is accredited until 2 February 2029, and LU says the degree follows EU standards for medical doctors and allows free movement within Europe.

The course itself splits into required subjects worth 333 ECTS, from anatomy and physiology to surgery and psychiatry, plus 15 ECTS of required choices and 12 ECTS of free electives. Final year practice covers family medicine, internal diseases and surgery. Erasmus+ exchange is possible too.

For the campus profile, see our University of Latvia Faculty of Medicine page. For the country picture, read our guide to MBBS in Latvia for Indian students.

How does University of Latvia admission work?

University of Latvia admission for international applicants works on grades, not a written test. LU ranks you by your final school grades: chemistry counts 40%, biology 40% and English 20%. If you didn't study chemistry or biology separately, a natural sciences grade counts 80%. Non-EU applicants then take a short online interview.

The interview lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and LU calls it mandatory for non-EU citizens. The university doesn't publish its questions. Expect a conversation about why you want medicine, why Riga, and what you know about the course. Practise answering out loud in English.

One more thing to know: LU says it isn't obliged to explain a rejection in detail, and it can withdraw an offer if its conditions aren't met. A complete, correct file is your best protection.

Comparing Latvia's two medical universities? Our post on the Riga Stradins University February intake explains how the other Riga option admits students.

What marks do Indian students need for the University of Latvia?

Indian students need a SAT overall score of at least 1200 and, on Latvia's 10-point scale, at least 8 in biology and chemistry, an average of at least 6 across all subjects and no failed subject. Those are the University of Latvia rules for non-EU citizens who finished school outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland.

How do Indian percentages map onto Latvia's 10-point scale? The academic information page explains the Latvian grades (8 means "very good", 6 "almost good"), but it doesn't give a conversion for CBSE or state boards. Ask LU's admissions office in writing how your board's marks will be read before you pay the fee.

LU's country-specific requirements also list an India rule worth noting: applicants who graduated from 2016 onwards with a CBSE certificate must provide their CBSE admission card, or the application can't proceed. Keep that card safe.

Which documents does the University of Latvia ask for?

The University of Latvia asks non-EU applicants for five items uploaded to the online portal, and every school document needs a notary stamp and an apostille. The Professional Medicine page on the LU Apply portal sets out the list:

1. Passport.
2. Transcript of final grades and state examinations, in English and the original language.
3. School leaving diploma if it's a separate document, in English and the original language.
4. Proof of English (see the next section).
5. The receipt for the 170 euro application fee, uploaded with the rest.

Both language copies of your transcript and diploma must carry a notary stamp and signature, and they must be apostilled or verified by your foreign ministry and the nearest Latvian embassy. LU is blunt about this: non-EU applications with documents that aren't properly apostilled won't be evaluated. Its legalisation page adds a practical warning. A laminated certificate can't be stamped, so ask your board for a duplicate first.

India's country page says you can apply with provisional results if you're still in your final semester, and send the final diploma later. Our guide to the apostille for MBBS in Europe explains how Indian school documents are usually certified.

Do you need IELTS for the University of Latvia?

Yes, most Indian students do. The University of Latvia exempts only applicants schooled in English in Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the UK or the USA. Indian English-medium schooling is not on that list, so plan for a test.

The portal accepts these minimum results:

• IELTS: at least 6.0
• TOEFL iBT: at least 80
• PTE Academic: at least 55
• Cambridge FCE: at least level B, or any level of CAE or CPE
• LanguageCert International ESOL: at least Communicator B2

LU's language proficiency page has the details. Our guide to MBBS in Europe without IELTS shows which other partner universities waive the test for CBSE and ISC students.

How do you apply to the University of Latvia, step by step?

You apply to the University of Latvia online through the LU Apply portal, pay the 170 euro fee after you receive the invoice, upload the receipt and then take the online interview. With the India-side checks added, the whole sequence looks like this:

1. Check your NEET position first. NEETsheet explains the NEET qualifying marks and the NEET 2027 eligibility criteria, which matter if you want to practise in India later. Our guide on whether NEET is required for MBBS abroad explains why.
2. Book the SAT and an English test early, so both scores are ready when the 2027 round opens.
3. Collect your Class 12 marksheet and certificate (and your CBSE admission card if you graduated from 2016 onwards), then get notarised English copies and apostilles.
4. Register on the LU Apply portal and fill in the Professional Medicine application.
5. Pay the 170 euro application fee after the invoice arrives, by its due date, and upload the bank receipt. LU only processes your application once the receipt is in.
6. Wait about two weeks for feedback on a complete application. If you change anything, resubmit the application to save it.
7. Take the 10 to 15 minute online interview before the deadline (26 June in the last cycle).
8. Accept or decline your study place by the date LU gives. A place you don't answer for counts as declined.

Applying to several universities? Our overview of the MBBS in Europe September 2027 intake lines up the windows at other partner universities.

How much does it cost to study medicine at the University of Latvia?

Studying medicine at the University of Latvia costs a 170 euro application fee, a 500 euro deposit for non-EU students and yearly tuition. The LU Apply portal lists tuition for the 2026/2027 intake rising from 11,850 euros in year one to 14,610 in year six, a total of 77,340 euros.

There's a catch you should know about. The faculty's own programme page now lists tuition of 13,600 euros a year for citizens of countries outside the EU, without naming the intake year. Until LU confirms the 2027/2028 figure, plan with the higher one. At the ECB reference rate of 105.1435 rupees per euro on 9 November 2026:

The last line is our own multiplication, so use it as a planning ceiling. The portal says the deposit is paid together with the full first-year tuition on arrival, and you must pay the first semester in full to enrol. After that, each semester can be paid in two parts.

Our Latvia MBBS fees guide sets LU and Riga Stradins side by side, and our guide to the education loan for MBBS abroad explains how families plan the transfer.

What happens after your University of Latvia offer?

After a University of Latvia offer, you accept the place, pay, and apply for a Latvian temporary residence permit. For Indian students, LU's visas and residence permits page and its India section say you submit the documents in person at the Embassy of Latvia in India, or LU can help arrange it through its admissions coordinator.

The university first prepares an invitation. Then the permit file includes, among other papers:

• A passport valid at least three months beyond the permit you ask for.
• Proof of tuition payment and a copy of your study agreement.
• Proof of funds of at least 780 euros a month (about 82,000 rupees) as an original stamped bank statement.
• A legalised police clearance if you have lived in a country for more than 12 months.
• Proof of accommodation, which LU provides if you live in a student dormitory.

The state fee for checking the documents is 160 euros for a decision within 30 days, 280 euros within 10 business days or 560 euros within 5. LU says the procedure takes over 40 days, and anyone who files after 20 August must pay for the 10 day express check. Under-18 students need a responsible adult and a legalised parental notice.

Once you're in Riga, you show a health insurance policy valid in Latvia and a chest X-ray result issued in Latvia. Our guides to the student visa for MBBS in Europe, the residence permit for MBBS students, proof of funds and health insurance walk through each paper.

Does a University of Latvia degree fit India's FMGL rules?

India's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 (FMGL) are the National Medical Commission rules for Indians who study medicine abroad. They ask for a course of at least 54 months, a 12 month internship at the same foreign institution, teaching in English, and registration to practise in the country that awards the degree.

Medicine in English at the University of Latvia runs six years in English, which covers the length and language conditions. Ask LU in writing how its final year practice and Latvian registration line up with the internship and licence conditions for your intake, and keep the reply with your offer letter. Our guides on checking NMC and WDOMS recognition and the FMG internship and registration explain what happens when you come home.

How should you prepare for the 2027 round now?

Use the months before the University of Latvia round opens to fix the two things that take longest: your SAT score and your apostilled documents. Everything else can follow.

Your chemistry and biology marks carry 80% of the ranking, so your Class 12 board exams are your real entrance test. NEETsheet's NEET 2027 biology preparation strategy and NEET 2027 chemistry preparation strategy keep that revision doing double duty for NEET and your boards.

A simple winter plan:

1. Register for the next available SAT date and take a practice test first.
2. Book IELTS, TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic for a date before the round opens.
3. Ask your school or board early for a duplicate, non-laminated certificate if yours is laminated.
4. Write down three reasons you want to study medicine in Riga, and practise a 10 minute talk in English.

Planning your University of Latvia admission with us

University of Latvia admission rewards students who prepare early: a SAT score in hand, strong science marks, apostilled papers and a calm interview. Get those ready this winter and you can apply the day the 2027 round opens.

Sources

• University of Latvia, Medicine (EN) programme page (12 semesters, 360 ECTS, 35 places in 2026/2027, tuition for non-EU citizens, admission requirements, selection weights, online interview, admissions opened 1 January 2026, practice from year three), read on 10 November 2026: lu.lv
• University of Latvia, LU Apply portal, Professional Medicine (fees per year, six year total, application fee, deposit, documents, apostille, SAT, English tests, interview by 26 June 2026, results in early July, studies from 31 August 2026, accreditation), read on 10 November 2026: apply.lu.lv
• University of Latvia, Country specific requirements, India (documents, CBSE admission card, apostille, residence permit at the Embassy of Latvia in India, provisional results, 20 August express rule), read on 10 November 2026: lu.lv
• University of Latvia, Visas and Residence Permits (invitation, permit documents, 780 euros a month, state fees, over 40 days, health insurance and X-ray), read on 10 November 2026: lu.lv
• University of Latvia, Language proficiency, read on 10 November 2026: lu.lv
• University of Latvia, Academic information (10-point grading scale), read on 10 November 2026: lu.lv
• University of Latvia, Legalisation of documents, read on 10 November 2026: lu.lv
• European Central Bank, euro reference rate for the Indian rupee, 9 November 2026: ecb.europa.eu
• National Medical Commission, Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021, read on 10 November 2026: nmc.org.in